Animal sorter



' H. E. Dus-11N ANIMAL soRTER Jan. 8, 1963 nite States 3,072,100 ANIMAL SGRTER Harold E. Dustin, RR. 2, Galva, Ill. Filed Nov. 7, 196i, Ser. No. 150,815 7 Claims. (Cl. 119-155) This invention relates to an animal sorter and more particularly to a device which iinds special utility in the sorting, classifying or separating of hogs, for example, according to size and therefore according to Weight.

It is desirable in the marketing of hogs to group all animals according to a certain general weight. For example, some operators will market hogs at or :around 200 lbs. per animal, others at or around 190 lbs. etc. In any case, the problem is the same; that is, picking out animals in the selected weight class. According to the present invention, this problem has been solved by providing a means which is used in conjunction with the openingin a pen or the like which provides one or more openings adjusted to a size which will retain animals at or above a certain size, allowing the smaller animals to escape. By proper adjustment of the opening and general knowledge of the weight of an animal according to its size, proper weight grouping, within relatively narrow limits, may be accomplished. The means also has utility in connection with the separating of the mother from the young pigs at farrowing time. It is a principal object of the invention to provide such means in the form of a pair of relatively movable frame elements having cooperative bars which are selectively adjustable through a relatively wide range so as to be useful in establishing a correspondingly wide range of weight groups. It is a further object to construct the means in a simple and economical manner so that it may be readily produced, sold and used, the construction being of a comparatively simple yet sturdy nature which lends itself to long life with little or no service problems.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable features inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become apparent as a preferred embodiment thereof is disclosed in detail in the ensuing description and accompanying sheet of drawings, the gures of which are described below.

FiGURE l is an elevation of the structure in which the openings are set at their greatest width.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view in which the openings are set at susbtantially their narrowest width.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective, with portions omitted and others somewhat exaggerated, illustrating the general relationship of the two frames to each other.

FIGURE 4 is a section as seen generally along the line A 4 4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged section -as seen generally along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

The structure comprises essentially iirst and second generally similar frames 10 and l2, arranged in juxtaposed and overlapping relation, with one being slidable relative to the other so as to provide various combinations of opening sizes through which animals of certain sizes may escape while animals of larger sizes are restrained. This will be clear from a comparison of FIG- URES l and 2, in which the two openings A will be seen to be wider than the two openings B in FIGURE 2, which is a result of relative adjustment between the two frames in a horizontal direction. A third opening occurs at C in FIGURE 2 and the fact that it appears to be the same size as the opening B is a coincidence, since the space C is merely an increase in the size of the space D in FIGURE l. Were the openings B to become larger, as by movement of the frame 12 to the right relative to the frame It), the opening C would then approach the size of the space D. The opening A also appears in FIG- URE 3 as does the space C.

As will be seen, the structure is generally rectangular in shape and is adapted to be disposed in the opening of a pen or other enclosure, normally in substitution for the usual gate. Although the structure is shown as having two controllable openings, such as at A in FIGURE l, the structure may be made of any length, having yany desired number of adjustable openings. character, such as those in the particular material and other charcteristics may be altered without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.

The frame 1li comprises a iirst pair of top and bottom members 14 and 16, respectively, and a plurality or set of horizontally spaced uprights i5, 2t), 22, 24, Z6 and 2S. The uprights i8 and 28 are longer than the others and are adapted to be connected to the end posts or other supports in the pen or other enclosure. As best shown in FiGURE 3, the top and bottom members i4 and 16 may be regarded as generally coplanar in a vertical plane, and it will be seen that the uprights 18 through 28 are coplanar in another vertical plane closely otfset from the plane of the members i4 and 16. The uprights are secured at their opposite ends respectively to the members 14 and i6 as by welding at .Titi and 32 respectively. The stock of which the uprights and members are constructed is preferably of square tubular section; although, this is not a limitation on the adaptability of the invention to construction of material of other types.

The second frame l2. comprises a second pair of top and bottom members 34 and 36, respectively, and a plurality of uprights 38, 4@ and 42. These uprights are welded adjacent to their opopsite ends respectively to the top and bottom members 34 and 36 of the second frame l2, as indicated at 44 and 46.

In the assembly of the two frame structures, and by the use of appropriate jigs, the members i4 and i6 and the members 34 and 3e are arranged generally coplanar, with the member 34 lying immediately below and parallel to the member i4 and the member 336 lying immediately above and parallel to the member 16. As best seen in FIGURE 3, the uprights 38, il? and 42 of the second frame i2 are sufliciently long so that at their upper and lower ends respectively they extend beyond the upper and lower members 34 and 36 so as to loosely overlap the members 14 and .t6 of the other frame itl. In short, the uprights 3S, and 42 are welded at 44 and 46 to the members 34 and 36 but are not welded to the members t4 and 16, whereas the uprights i8 through 2S of the frame iii are welded to the top and bottom members 14 and i6 at 30 and 32 but are not welded to the members 34 and 36. In order to provide proper clearance between the two frames, which are thus mounted for relative sliding, spacers may be interposed between the members i4 and 16 and the uprights l through 28. A representative spacer is suggested at 48 in FIGURE 5. Suitable vertical clearance is of course aiiorded between the members i4 and 34 and 36 and 16.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that the two frames are relatively siidably interconnected for movement of one with respect to the other lengthwise of the top and bottom members 14 and 34 and 16 and 36, but the inner relationship of the members and uprights is such that the two frames cannot come apart in a direction normal to the vertical planes in which the members and uprights are respectively coplanar. In other words, the members 34 and 36 are locked in behind the uprights of the frame 1i) and the members 14 and 16 of the frame il) are locked in oppositely behind the extended end por tions of the uprights of the frame 12.

Looking now at FIGURE l, it Will be seen that the width of the opening A is determined by the distance Changes of this f l2; the second openbetween the upright width deterr ined by the distance between the upright 2d or" the frame and the next adjacent ht of the frame l2. f'hen the is moved to the left relative to the frame i6, the opening decreases in size, as each corresponding upright the trame i? approaches its associated upright of the frame the "eii' approaches :e upright 22, the distance A diminishes to that at B in liGJiE 2., and the space D increases to that at C as tile upright E8 moves away *om the upright likewise, the width or t A diminishes to the width of the opening l5 as the npright 40 on the fre-.me if! approaches the upright 24 on the frame Ml.

For purposes of illustration, the width of each opening A may be on the order of twelve inches and the width of each opening B may be the order ot llive inches. These, which may be regarded as maximum and minimum widths may, of course, be varied, but those selected have proven highly useful in commercially acceptable embodiments of the invention, lt will be clear, of course, that an innite variety of widths between A and B may be established, depending upon the amount of relative adjustment of the two frames.

For the purpose of facilitating adjustment and at the same time securing the selected position of adjustment, means is provided for effecting movement of the frame l2 relative to the frame l0. In the preesnt case, this comprises a pair ot cooperative parts, one acting on one frame and the other reacting on the other. For this purpose the two uprights 40 and 4Z adjacent to the right hand end ot the frame i2 may be interconnected at their intermediate portions by a plate 50, welding being used as at 52 as a means for the aiiixation. This plate may have rigidly secured thereto a bracket 54 which mounts a captive nut 56, representing an internally threaded element. A screw threaded rotatable member is threaded through the nut 56 and is rotatably carried by a support part or element, here in the form of an additional upright 60, rigidly attixed to one side of the upright 25, as by welding at 62. This support part is apertured to receive the right hand portion of the screw threaded member 53, the terminal end of which is provided with a crank 64, movable in the fixed space between the elements and 28, which assures that the crank will not A reject beyond the upright 23 and thus interfere with the connection of that upright to a supporting part of the pen or other enclosure. The screw or threaded member Sli is confined against axial shifting relative to the support part 60 as by a pair of washers 66, one at each side of the part 60. One of the washers may lie just inside the handle of the crank 64 and the other may be retained against axial displacement as -by a pin 6%.

it will be seen that rotation of the crank 64 will cause movement of the frame l2 relative to the frame l0 in one direction or the other, depending upon the direction of rotation of the screw. Since the threaded relationship between the screw 5% and the nut 56 is substantially nonreversible, the selected position of adiustment will be maintained until altered. lt will be obvious,.of course, that suitable indicia, not shown here, could be provided for indicating, in inches or otherwise, the adjusted widths of the openings A and B. Various other changes, modications, substitutions etc. could or course be made, all falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An animal sorter, comprising: rst and second generally similar frames, each having elongated horizontal top and bottom members and a plurality of horizontally spaced apart uprights rigidly secred at opposite ends respectively to said members to provide a plurality of openings lengthwise o the ctive trame; means mounting the frames in juxtaposed overlapping relation with the top and bottom member and uprights of one respectively parallel and proximate to those of the other and with the openings ot one frame Aably registrabili with the openings of the other frame, said means including cooperative parts respectively on the trames and interconnecting said frames for relative adjustment thereof lengthwise of the top and bottom members for selectively varying the horizontal spacing between the uprights of one frame and the uprights of the other and thus varying the register of the openings of one frame with those of the other.

2. The invention dened in claim il, including: mechanism connected between the frames and acting on one and reacting on the other `for effecting said relative adjustment of the frames.

3. The invention dened in claim 2, in which: said mechanism includes a pair of cooperative screw threaded elements, one xed to one frame and the other rotatably carried -by the other frame.

4. An animal sorter, comprising: first and second generally similar frames, each having horizontal top and bottom members and a plurality of horizontally spaced apart uprights, said framesbeing arranged for relative adjustment lengthwise of the top and bottom members for selectively varying the spacing between the uprights of one frame and those of the other, characterized in that the members are generally coplanar, with the top and bottom members of the rst frame lying parallel to and respectively immediately above and below those of the second frame, the uprights of both frames are generally coplanar in a vertical plane closely offset from the plane of the members, the uprights of the rst frame closely overlying the members of the second frame and rigidly secured to the members of the rst frame and the uprights of the second frame being rigidly secured adjacent to opposite end portions respectively to the members of the second frame, said second frame uprights being upwardly and downwardly extended at their end portions respectively beyond the second frame members to respectively loosely overlie the top and bottom members of the first frame whereby the frames are interconnected tor relative sliding lengthwise ot said members within the limits of the spacing of the uprights but are restrained against separation normal to said vertical planes of the members and uprights.

5. The invention dened in claim 4, including: mechanism connected between the frames and acting on one and reacting on the other for effecting said relative adjustment or the frames.

6. The invention deiined in claim 5, in which: said mechanism includes a pair of cooperative screw threaded elements, one iixed to one frame and the other rotatably carried by the other frame.

7. The invention defined in claim 4, in which: the irst frame includes at each end thereof an upright extension beyond its top member for attachment to a support or the like.

References Cited in the ie of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,028,588 Mitchell June 4, l9l2 FOREIGN PATENTS 120,400 Sweden Dec. 9, 1947 

1. AN ANIMAL SORTER, COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND GENERALLY SIMILAR FRAMES, EACH HAVING ELONGATED HORIZONTAL TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS AND A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED APART UPRIGHTS RIGIDLY SECURED AT OPPOSITE ENDS RESPECTIVELY TO SAID MEMBERS TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS LENGTHWISE OF THE RESPECTIVE FRAME; MEANS MOUNTING THE FRAMES IN JUXTAPOSED OVERLAPPING RELATION WITH THE TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBER AND UPRIGHTS OF ONE RESPECTIVELY PARALLEL AND PROXIMATE TO THOSE OF THE OTHER AND WITH THE OPENINGS OF ONE FRAME VARIABLY REGISTRABLE WITH THE OPENINGS OF THE OTHER FRAME, SAID MEANS INCLUDING COOPERATIVE PARTS RESPECTIVELY ON THE FRAMES AND INTERCONNECTING SAID FRAMES FOR RELATIVE ADJUSTMENT THEREOF LENGTHWISE OF THE TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS FOR SELECTIVELY VARYING THE HORIZONTAL SPACING BETWEEN THE UPRIGHTS OF ONE FRAME AND THE UPRIGHTS OF THE OTHER AND THUS VARYING THE REGISTER OF THE OPENINGS OF ONE FRAME WITH THOSE OF THE OTHER. 